There are a number of commercially available gas chromatography systems each of which has a single electrically heated GC oven enclosing a separating column. The column is connected at one end to a sample injector mounted on the oven in a heated injector block which forms an injector oven. The other end of a column is connected to a detector which also is mounted on the oven in a heated block or oven. An electrical system controls heating of the oven, the detector and the injector and also processes the signal from the detector. The electrical system further includes a data system which controls operation of the GC system, analyzes the signal and outputs data from the system.
Systems of the above type are normally operated at either a constant temperature or at predetermined or programmed temperatures in order to separate a sample as desired. An additional column and other detectors and injectors may also be used to provide such a system with a wide variety of different configurations and ways to analyze a sample.
Also known in the prior art is a GC system having a dual oven formed by an enclosure having a bottom wall, a top wall and a four-sided vertically movable side wall or mantle movable between an open and close position. When the mantle is closed, a partition divides the thus formed chamber into two ovens which are independently controlled as to temperature to provide different ways, in conjunction with different column, detector and injector configurations, in much the same manner as the present invention provides. The ovens are not independently accessible but are both either open or closed at the same time. Further, when cooling is used, both ovens are cooled simultaneously as opposed to separately. The system includes the gas control system and an electrical system including a data system. The partition is removable so that a single oven can be formed to accommodate longer columns.